When the earth starts to move, your survival may depend on memorizing four simple words.
Drop. Cover. Hold On.
In the first moments of an earthquake, drop to the floor, find cover under something sturdy - table, heavy furniture, cover your head and neck with your arms and hold on to something for dear life.
That’s the advice shared with the media during a conference call on Friday, April 15th by Brigadier General John Heltzel, Director of Kentucky’s Emergency Management Services. According to the General, most people lose their lives in a quake from being hit in the head by falling objects like overhead lighting and ceilings.
Earthquake preparedness is on the front burner of Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama, the states that share the three fault lines of the New Madrid Zone.
The Great American Shakeout, a four day preparedness exercise for the next “big one” begins on May 16, 2011. So far, over 2 million people have signed up to participate.
Participation can be as simple as answering surveys on a website to joining a local group in a table top exercise. The event will not be simulating buildings falling down or practicing first aid. It will be a chance for individuals, governmental agencies, like the National Guard, police, fire, rescue and nongovernmental agencies – faith groups, the American Red Cross, for example to test their readiness to concerted action should a 7.7 quake hit mid America.
 Each day of the exercise, focus will be devoted to a different aspect of emergency response. The Kentucky Emergency Management National Exercise webpage lays out daily goals:
Monday, May 16, will focus on Assessment and Communications. On Day 1 of the exercise, every effort will be made to establish communications with as many counties, businesses and community service agencies as possible.
Tuesday, May 17, will focus on Life Saving and Emergency Operations. Day 2 of the exercise will give you the opportunity to play at various levels based on your desire and availability to participate.
Wednesday, May 18, will focus on Emergency Medical Services and Medical Evacuation of the injured. Day 3 will give our medical partners and community the opportunity to test their abilities.
Thursday, May 19, will focus on Sustainment activities. On Day 4 assemble a team of community and agency leaders and ask the following questions as a part of a roundtable discussion: how will your community support sheltering activities for a year following an earthquake; how will your local government rebuild local infrastructure, even if money is available from federal and state resources; will your local business community still be there to help resource sustainment; and if your community is outside of the affected area, how will you receive and care for large numbers of evacuees and injured as they relocate to your area?
Friday, May 20, will focus on gathering all of our “Best Practices” and “Areas That Need Improvement” and developing our After Action Reports (AAR). Although Day 5 is the final day of the exercise, it represents a critically important piece of the overall exercise plan. The reason we exercise is to identify areas that are working great and those that need some refinement. We are hopeful that if you participate at any level, you will make certain that your comments are included with your community’s AAR or that you provide them directly to us via email at KYNLE2011@gmail.com. The deadline for receipt of AAR comments is May 31, 2011. We can all learn from each other. Let’s not miss the opportunity to do so.
Evaluation of the exercise will be sought from official and unofficial sources. General Heltzel said his agency will be looking for comments from private citizens. Sometimes, a private citizen brings a new and valuable insight into the planning process. When evaluations are completed, Governor Beshear, who’s bought into the process, has directed that a new manual for preparedness be issued. The new guidelines should be ready in July.
General Heltzel strongly encourages private citizens to sign up to take part (it’s free) by going to the Kentucky Emergency Management website and signing up at www.kyem.ky.gov 
A get ready event will be held in Kentucky on April 28th at 10:15 central time. It’s a chance to practice those four little words that are at the heart of surviving the first minutes of a quake
Drop - Cover - Hold On.
It could make the difference between life and death when the New Madrid kicks up its heels again.
For more of our stories on earthquake preparedness, see
The General, the Judge and Temporal Geography, August 10, 2010
General Heltzel brings earthquake preparedness workshops to West Kentucky, July 27, 2010
News that got lost - prediction of another quake, May 27, 2010 |
